First euthanasia of terminally ill child confirmed in the Netherlands
For the first time, a doctor in the Netherlands has ended the life of a terminally ill child, Minister Sophie Hermans of Public Health wrote in a letter to parliament. The special committee established to assess euthanasia for children received the report last year, NOS reports.
The assessment committee has reviewed the case, spoken with the doctor involved, and passed its assessment to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), Hermans wrote. The OM will determine whether the doctor acted in accordance with the law. The assessment committee’s recommendation will weigh heavily in this decision.
Hermans did not mention the child’s age or the nature of their illness in her letter.
The Netherlands has allowed euthanasia for children between the ages of 1 and 12 since 2024. The decision must be made in consultation with the child’s parents, and it must be clear that the child is suffering unbearably and without prospect of recovery. At the time, it was expected that around five children would qualify for euthanasia per year.
The regulation is intended for children who are expected to die within the foreseeable future and whose suffering cannot be alleviated with other means. They often have congenital abnormalities or metabolic diseases.
Until 2024, euthanasia was only an option for newborns and children over the age of 12. For children between the ages of 1 and 12, the only options were palliative sedation or the decision to stop providing them with food and drink and allow them to “die naturally,” according to NOS.
